Luteolin regulating synthesis and catabolism of osteoarthritis chondrocytes via activating autophagy.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent bone and joint disease characterized by degeneration. The dysregulation between chondrocyte synthesis and breakdown is a key factor in OA development. Targeting the degenerative changes in cartilage tissue degradation could be a potential treatment approach for OA. Previous research has established a strong link between autophagy and the regulation of chondrocyte functions. Activating autophagy has shown promise in mitigating cartilage tissue degeneration. Currently, osteoarthritis treatment primarily focuses on symptom management, as there is no definitive medication to stop disease progression. Previous studies have demonstrated that luteolin, a flavonoid present in Chinese herbal medicine, can activate autophagy and reduce the expression of MMP1 and ADAMTS-5. This study utilized an in vitro osteoarthritis model with chondrocytes stimulated by IL-1ß, treated with varying concentrations of luteolin. Treatment with luteolin notably increased the levels of synthesis factors Aggrecan and Collagen II, while decreasing the levels of decomposition factors MMP-1 and ADAMTS-5. Moreover, inhibition of autophagy by Chloroquine reversed the imbalances in chondrocyte activities induced by IL-1ß. In an in vivo model of knee osteoarthritis induced by medial meniscal instability (DMM), luteolin was administered as a therapeutic regimen. After 12 weeks, knee cartilage tissues from mice were analyzed. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining revealed a decrease in P62 expression and an increase in Beclin-1 in the cartilage tissues. Additionally, cartilage wear in the knee joints of mice was alleviated by safranin O and fast green staining. Our study findings underscore the significant role of luteolin in effectively rebalancing chondrocyte activities disrupted by IL-1ß. Our results strongly indicate that luteolin has the potential to be developed as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis, offering promising prospects for future drug development.

hsa_circ_0058122 knockdown prevents steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head by inhibiting human umbilical vein endothelial cells apoptosis via the miR-7974/IGFBP5 axis.

BACKGROUND: Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head (SONFH) is a serious complication of glucocorticoid overused. Recent evidence has demonstrated that circRNAs exert key pathophysiological roles in a variety of disease processes. However, the role of circRNA in SONFH remains largely unknown. The current study sought to evaluate how hsa_circ_0058122 affects SONFH in dexamethasone (DEX) treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) model. METHODS: RT-PCR was used to demonstrate the hsa_circ_0058122 expression level in Dex-treated HUVECs cells. The effects of hsa_circ_0058122 on HUVECs apoptosis were evaluated via overexpression plasmid and siRNA. Using dual-luciferase and fluorescence in situ hybridization assays, we demonstrated that hsa_circ_0058122 binds to miR-7974 thereby facilitating HUVECs apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis and western blot were performed to confirm target genes of hsa-miR-7974. RESULTS: In our previous work, we revealed the top 20 elevated circRNAs in SONFH patients were hsa_circ_0010027, hsa_circ_0058115, hsa_circ_0010026, hsa_circ_0058839, hsa_circ_0056886, hsa_circ_0056885, hsa_circ_0058146, hsa_circ_0058105, hsa_circ_0058112, hsa_circ_0058143, hsa_circ_0058102, hsa_circ_0058090, hsa_circ_0075353, hsa_circ_0058126, hsa_circ_0058130, hsa_circ_0058140, hsa_circ_0058122, hsa_circ_0058123, hsa_circ_0058103, and hsa_circ_0058121. Among these, hsa_circ_0058122 was finally selected for further investigation. We found hsa_circ_0058122 expression was markedly elevated in Dex-treated HUVECs cells, and the Dex-mediated HUVEC apoptosis was impaired in hsa_circ_0058122-silenced cells and increased in hsa_circ_0058122-overexpressing cells. hsa_circ_0058122 competitively binds to hsa-miR-7974, which in turn interacts with insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP5). CONCLUSIONS: hsa_circ_0058122/miR-7974/IGFBP5 was proposed to be a key regulatory pathway for SONFH. DEX treatment upregulated hsa_circ_0058122 expression in HUVECs, which sponged miR-7974, thereby increasing IGFBP5 expression, the hsa_circ_0058122/miR-7974/IGFBP5 axis contributed to the Dex-mediated apoptosis. These findings may identify novel targets for SONFH molecular therapy.

TNF-α up-regulates Nanog by activating NF-κB pathway to induce primary rat spinal cord astrocytes dedifferentiation.

AIMS: Astrocytes re-acquire stem cell potential upon inflammation, thereby becoming a promising source of cells for regenerative medicine. Nanog is an essential transcription factor to maintain the characteristics of stem cells. We aimed to investigate the role of Nanog in astrocyte dedifferentiation. MAIN METHODS: TNF-α was used to induce the dedifferentiation of primary rat spinal cord astrocytes. The expression of immature markers CD44 and Musashi-1 was detected by qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence. The Nanog gene is knocked down by small interference RNA. Nanog expression was measured by qRT-PCR and western blotting. BAY 11-7082 was used to suppress NF-κB signals in astrocytes. NF-κB signaling was evaluated by Western blotting. KEY FINDINGS: Our results showed that TNF-α promoted the re-expression of CD44 and Musashi-1 in astrocytes. Dedifferentiated astrocytes could be induced to differentiate into oligodendrocyte lineage cells indicating that the astrocytes had pluripotency. In addition, TNF-α treatment activated NF-κB signaling pathway and up-regulated Nanog. Knockdown of Nanog reversed the increase of CD44 and Musashi-1 induced by TNF-α without affecting the activation of NF-κB signaling. Importantly, blocking NF-κB signaling by BAY 11-7082 inhibited the expression of immature markers suggesting that TNF-α induces dedifferentiation of astrocytes through the NF-κB signaling pathway. BAY 11-7082 could also inhibit the expression of Nanog, which indicated that Nanog was regulated by NF-κB signaling pathway. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings indicate that activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway through TNF-α leads to astrocytes dedifferentiation via Nanog. These results expand our understanding of the mechanism of astrocytes dedifferentiation.

Neuregulin-1 converts reactive astrocytes toward oligodendrocyte lineage cells via upregulating the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway to repair spinal cord injury.

Axonal demyelination is a consistent pathological characteristic of Spinal cord injury (SCI). Promoting differentiation of oligodendrocytes is of importance for remyelination. Conversion of reactive astrocytes with stem cell potential to oligodendrocytes is proposed as an innovative strategy for SCI repair. Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) plays an essential role in the differentiation of oligodendrocytes. Therefore, it's a potential treatment for demyelination in SCI that using Nrg1 to drive reactive astrocytes toward oligodendrocyte lineage cells. In this study, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was used to induce dedifferentiation of primary rat spinal cord astrocytes into reactive astrocytes and Nrg1 was used to induce astrocytes in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that astrocytes treated with TNF-α expressed immaturity markers CD44 and Musashi1 at mRNA and protein levels, indicating that TNF-α induced the stem cell state of astrocytes. Nrg1 induced reactive astrocytes to express oligodendrocyte markers PDGFR-α and O4 at mRNA and protein levels, indicating that Nrg1 directly converts reactive astrocytes toward oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Moreover, upregulation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling activation in response to Nrg1 was observed. In rats with SCI, intrathecal treatment with Nrg1 converted reactive astrocytes to oligodendrocyte lineage cells, inhibited astrogliosis, promoted remyelination, protected axons and eventually improved BBB score. All the biological effects of Nrg1 were significantly reversed by the co-administration of Nrg1 and ErbB inhibitor, suggesting that Nrg1 functioned through the receptor ErbB. Our findings indicate that Nrg1 is sufficient to trans-differentiate reactive astrocytes to oligodendrocytes via the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway and repair SCI. Delivery of Nrg1 for the remyelination processes could be a promising strategy for spinal cord repair.

Microarray profiling of circular RNAs in steroid-associated osteonecrosis of the femoral head: Observational study.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and to identify the differential expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs) for steroid-associated osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) using bioinformatics analysis.circRNA microarray was performed with 3 SONFH tissues and the adjacent normal tissues, and differentially expressed circRNA were identified by limma package in R. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery database. In addition, a differentially expressed genes (DEG)-associated circRNA/microRNA (miRNA) interaction was predicted by combination of TargetScan and miRanda, and the circRNA/miRNA interaction network generated by the cytoscape software.A total of 647 differentially expressed circRNAs, including 433 upregulated and 214 downregulated circRNA were identified. The most enriched GO terms for upregulated and downregulated circRNA were extracellular matrix organization and leukocyte activation in biological process; extracellular matrix and spindle pole in cellular component; integrin binding and ATP binding in molecular function, and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses showed that the upregulated and downregulated circRNA were strongly associated with Protein digestion and absorption and Cell cycle. Moreover, a total of 212 differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs), including 113 upregulated and 99 downregulated genes were identified. In addition, from the analysis of miRNA, long noncoding RNAs, mRNA, and circRNA networks, we found that hsa_circ_0008136 and hsa_circ_0074758 were respectively the upregulated and downregulated circRNA with highest degrees.The identified circRNA and mRNA could be implicated in the progression of human SONFH. The findings could lead to a better understanding of SONFH pathogenesis.

The CRD of Frizzled 7 exhibits chondroprotective effects in osteoarthritis via inhibition of the canonical Wnt3a/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease without effective drugs. Frizzled 7 (FzD7) binds its ligand Wnt3a through an extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD) to transduce the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, which has been strongly implicated in OA pathogenesis. Effects of recombinant protein of FzD7 CRD on Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and chondral destruction was evaluated in this study. Firstly, increased protein levels of FzD7, Wnt3a and ß-catenin were detected in human OA cartilage implying that the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling mediated by Wnt3a and FzD7 executes an essential role in OA. Then we showed that FzD7 CRD antagonized the Wnt3a/ß-catenin signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner by binding Wnt3a. In addition, FzD7 CRD increased the expression of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), Collagen II, aggrecan and reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, MMP-13, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS-5) in Wnt3a-stimulated human chondrocytes. Furthermore, a single intra-articular injection of the FzD7 CRD was efficacious in destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) mouse OA model, significantly improving Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) histology scores compared to mice treated with PBS. The results indicate that the FzD7 CRD exhibits chondroprotective effects by binding Wnt3a to suppress the Wnt3a/ß-catenin signaling. Targeting the FzD7 CRD may be a novel therapy for the treatment of OA.

Knockdown of SGK1 alleviates the IL-1ß-induced chondrocyte anabolic and catabolic imbalance by activating FoxO1-mediated autophagy in human chondrocytes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of articular cartilage with no effective treatment methods available. Cartilage degeneration is closely related to an anabolic and catabolic imbalance in chondrocytes, and accumulating evidence has revealed that autophagy is a crucial protective mechanism that maintains the balance of anabolic and catabolic activities. Therefore, studies aiming to identify additional genes that regulate autophagy as a promising therapeutic strategy for OA are needed. In this study, we analyzed the GSE113825 datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus and validated that serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) was upregulated in OA cartilage. Based on the results from loss-of-function studies, SGK1 silencing promoted the deposition of glycosaminoglycans in interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß)-treated chondrocytes, and significantly alleviated IL-1ß-induced downregulation of Collagen II and Aggrecan, as well as the upregulation of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 and matrix metalloproteinase-13. Furthermore, SGK1 knockdown reversed the IL-1ß-induced chondrocyte anabolic and catabolic imbalance by activating autophagy. Moreover, SGK1 directly bound to forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) and increased its phosphorylation, which in turn resulted in its translocation from the nucleus. The decreased FoxO1 levels led to a decrease in LC3-I/LC3-II conversion and Beclin-1 levels, subsequently inhibiting autophagosome formation and increasing P62 levels, thus indicating a downregulation of autophagy. Taken together, we identified a critical role of SGK1 in the IL-1ß-induced chondrocyte anabolic and catabolic imbalance, which may represent a potential novel therapeutic target for OA.

Scutellarin ameliorates cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis by inhibiting the Wnt/ß-catenin and MAPK signaling pathways.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is the basis of cartilage extracellular matrix degeneration and joint inflammation. Scutellarin is an herbal flavonoid glucuronide, isolated from the Chinese traditional herb Erigeron breviscapus, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effect. Here, we showed that Scutellarin could inhibit inflammation and protects cartilage from degeneration in vitro and in vivo. Scutellarin downregulate the mRNA and protein expression of MMP1, MMP13, and ADAMTS-5, Wnt3a, Frizzled7 and promote the expression of Collagen II and Aggrecan. Moreover, scutellarin inhibit the migration of ß-catenin and phosphorylation of p38 into the nucleus, which may relate to the mediation of the Wnt/ß-catenin and MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, scutellarin significantly inhibit the cartilage degradation of DMM-induced OA mice by safranin-O and fast green staining. In conclusion, our study indicates that scutellarin may be a potential drug for the treatment of OA.

Dopamine delays articular cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis by negative regulation of the NF-κB and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND: The progressive loss of cartilage matrix and the breakdown of articular cartilage induced by inflammation play an essential role in osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. Dopamine (DA) is a critical neurotransmitter that is not only involved in controlling exercise, emotion, cognition and neuroendocrine activity but also has anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of DA on OA in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: OA progression was evaluated in a mouse model with surgically induced destabilization of the medial meniscus. Cartilage degradation and OA were analyzed using Safranin O/Fast Green staining. Additionally, qRT-PCR and Western blotting were applied to detect catabolic and anabolic factors involved in cartilage degeneration and underlying mechanisms in OA chondrocytes treated with Interleukin-1ß. RESULTS: In vitro, DA treatment inhibited the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13, while increasing type II collagen and glycosaminoglycan content. Mechanistically, DA reversed IL-1ß-treated nuclear factor-kappa B activation and JAK2/STAT3 phosphorylation. Furthermore, DA suppressed the degradation of cartilage matrix and reduced Osteoarthritis Research Society International scores in the surgically induced OA models. CONCLUSION: DA may be a novel therapeutic agent for OA treatment.

Angiopoietin-like 2 upregulation promotes human chondrocyte injury via NF-κB and p38/MAPK signaling pathway.

Several cellular and molecular processes participate in the pathologic changes of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the core molecular regulators of these processes are unclear, and no effective treatment for OA disease has been developed so far. ANGPTL2 is well known for its tissue remolding and pro-inflammation properties. However, the role of ANGPTL2 in osteoarthritis (OA) still remains unclear. To explore the expression level of ANGPTL2 in human OA cartilage and investigate the function of ANGPTL2 in human chondrocytes injury, qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry were employed to investigate the expression of ANGPTL2 between human OA and normal cartilage samples. Next, human primary chondrocytes were treated with IL-1ß to mimic OA progress in vitro, and the expression of ANGPTL2 were tested by qRT-PCR and western blot. Furthermore, the effect of ANGPTL2 in the expression of pro-inflammation cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6), proteolytic enzymes (MMP-1, MMP-13) and component of the cartilage matrix (COL2A1 and aggrecan) in human primary chondrocyte were explored by gain-of-function and loss-of-function methods. Finally, the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and p38/MAPK signaling pathways were also tested by western blot analysis. In this study, firstly, the expression level of ANGPTL2 was elevated both in human OA cartilage samples and IL-1ß stimulated human chondrocytes. Secondly, ANGPTL2 upregulation promotes extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and inflammation mediator production in human chondrocytes. Finally, ANGPTL2 activated the NF-κB and p38/MAPK signaling pathways via integrin α5ß1. This study, for the first time, highlights that ANGPTL2 secreted by human chondrocytes plays a negative role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, and it may be a potential therapeutic target in OA.

[Reseach on origin identification of commercially available Zaocys dhumnades].

Through market investigation, the adulteration of Zaocys dhumnades on markets was found out, and samples of authentic and adulterated Z. dhumnades on markets were collected. The origin and properties of the adulterated Z. dhumnades were studied in order to provide reference for the identification of Z. dhumnades. The counterfeit Z. dhumnades sold on markets were as follows: Ptyas korros, P. mucosus, Najanaja atra, Sinonatrix annularis, Dinodon septentrionalis, etc. It is found that there existed a obvious difference between the traits of the Z. dhumnades and counterfeits. Genuine Z. dhumnades with "sword ridge" "iron tail", strongly ribbed scales and other features, is the key point to identify the difference from adulterants.

ACY-1215 exhibits anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes via inhibition of STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Cartilage degeneration is a basic pathological feature of osteoarthritis (OA), and there is growing evidence that it is associated with inflammation. ACY-1215, a selective HDAC6 inhibitor, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects of ACY-1215 in IL-1ß-stimulated human primary chondrocytes and C28/I2 cells. The results suggested that ACY-1215 can markedly suppress the expression of inflammatory factors, including IL-1ß and IL-6 in human primary chondrocytes and C28/I2 cells. Furthermore, ACY-1215 exerts potent chondroprotection through the amelioration of cartilage degradation by inhibiting the expression of matrix-degrading proteases, including MMP-1 and MMP-13 in chondrocytes. These effects may be related to ACY-1215 induced down-regulation of NF-κB and STAT3 pathways in OA chondrocytes. Taken together, our results show that ACY-1215 may be a potential and promising therapeutic drug for the management of OA.

A case-control study and meta-analysis reveal the association between COX-2 G-765C polymorphism and primary end-stage hip and knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a popular arthrosis featured as pain, limited joint activity, and deformity. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been reported to be up-regulated in arthritic tissues and is integral to the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Previous studies showed the COX-2 promoter G-765C polymorphism could influence COX-2 expression. However, the relationship between the variant and OA risk is contrasting. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study with 196 primary end-stage hip and knee OA cases and 196 controls in a Chinese Han population. Subsequently, we integrated this case-control study in a meta-analysis to acquire greater statistical power. The results from our case-control study using MassARRAY genotyping technology and binary logistic regression statistical methods. RESULTS: The variant carriers in the Chinese Han population had a lower primary end-stage hip and knee OA susceptibility (C vs G: OR = 0.350, 95%CI: 0.154-0.797, P = .012; GC vs GG: adjusted OR = 0.282, 95%CI: 0.118-0.676, P = .005). Stratification studies indicated that a higher GC frequency in women decreased not only knee OA susceptibility but also unilateral knee OA risk. The meta-analysis showed that the variant exhibited a significantly decreased OA risk through comparisons involving allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, and dominant models. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the COX-2 G-765C polymorphism exerts a protective effect against primary end-stage knee osteoarthritis in a female Chinese Han population.